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The University of Michigan is considering changes to its diversity program, which has been a major advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Critics are raising concerns about the program’s effectiveness and its influence on campus culture.
Written by Nicholas Confessore
The University of Michigan, known for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, is considering making changes to its own program in anticipation of the second term of President Donald J. Trump and potential attacks on such initiatives by the Republican party in government and academia.
Members of the governing body of the university expressed their intention to propose restrictions on the use of diversity statements in the hiring and promotion processes. They are also considering reallocating a portion of the university’s budget for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives towards programs aimed at recruiting students from lower-income backgrounds and providing tuition guarantees for them.
Michigan is considering changes that would make it one of the first public universities to reassess diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) without being forced to by the government. The board overseeing the university is mainly made up of Democrats, who are elected by the people of the state and typically make decisions through agreement. The state constitution of Michigan gives the board of regents the power to manage the university’s finances and supervise the school in general.
The next meeting of the regents is scheduled for December 5th. However, conversations between the regents and university officials have caused strong opposition on the Michigan campus recently. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion administrators are actively defending their work and trying to protect their funding.
A large group of supporters for diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) came together at the Ann Arbor campus for a rally on Monday.
During a speech, a junior named Pragya Choudhary mentioned that while the D.E.I. initiatives at the university may not be flawless, everyone in the audience acknowledges that the university would be in a worse state without them.
Discussions on campus have highlighted a general lack of understanding about the purpose of the D.E.I. program and the intentions of the regents. Some faculty and students are concerned that the regents may completely cut funding for the school’s D.E.I. initiatives, but it does not seem like this is being considered. There are also accusations that the regents plan to eliminate the Go Blue Guarantee, which covers full tuition for low-income students from Michigan, but the regents actually want to expand it.
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